Finding and reading a book is no longer enough to entice people to visit an ordinary library. But it seems that a group of architects from China and abroad have found the answer to this 21st century problem.

The Tianjin Binhai Library was designed and built in record-breaking time of three years. And it's impressive futuristic elements and features has caught global attention. 

Some have described it as the "Ocean of Books" and some have labelled it "the most beautiful library in China.“ The 33,700 square meter information hub can house around 1.2 million books, and this library is part of a larger project to make Tianjin a cultural center. 

The new landmark has helped put the port city on the map. It has become a popular destination to visit, whether you're a local from a nearby town, or a tourist from the other side of the world. Deputy Director Liu Xiufeng from the Tianjin Binhai reacted to this: "We never expected it to gain this amount of attention and popularity in such a short amount of time. We hope the public will continue to see its importance, but moreover, we hope they see the beauty of the vast and diverse content and information provided inside."  

With this newfound fame comes some backlash. Some critics have called this library "fake," because of the "pictures" of books on some of the walls. Architect Chen Tianze, who was involved in this project, explained the decision. "We wanted to create a comfortable and homey space for public gatherings hence the wallpaper with pictures of books and the stairs. The wallpaper is also a symbol of Chinese culture. You can see the Chinese saying, "Diligence is the path to the mountain of knowledge." It helps to incorporate Chinese culture into the overall design of the building." 

It seems visitors from around the world agree. Almost everyone have called this library simply "out of this world."